Sikorsky Wins Turkish Contract

Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. won part of a $3.5 billion contract to make helicopters for Turkey's military, beating out rival Agusta Westland of Italy. Sikorsky, the Stratford based subsidiary of United Technologies Corp., on Friday announced the 10-year deal with partner Turkish Aerospace Industry, which calls for 109 utility helicopters and might expand to as many as 600. The aircraft, based on the Black Hawk model, will be built in Turkey with American and Turkish parts. Sikorsky's share of the contract is expected to top $1 billion.

"For many years, Sikorsky Aircraft and Turkish industry have collaborated on aerostructures and dynamic component parts, so this contract would follow a long standing tradition of cooperation," said Jeffrey Pino, president of Sikorsky.

Sikorsky will operate through its 50 percent stake in Alp Aviation, a Turkish company, and intends to expand its capabilities to meet the demand for the contract.

"I would call it a surprise," said Richard Aboulafia, vice president and senior aerospace analyst with the Virginia-based Teal Group.

He said Agusta had won the bidding for Turkey's attack helicopter needs and expectations were high that the utility contract would follow.

Military contracts abroad are going to become more important to the continued financial success of Sikorsky, according to some analysts.

Writing last month on the medium and heavy lift military helicopter market, Newtown-based aerospace analyst Raymond Jaworowski said the growth cycle appeared to be nearing its end.

"...the winding down of the Afghan and Iraqi conflicts, combined with competing domestic budget priorities, is putting downward pressure on U.S. defense spending," Jaworowski, of Forecast International wrote. "Even without budgetary pressure, the current modernization cycle in U.S. military rotorcraft procurement would be nearing an end."

Jaworowski said other nations have also been upgrading their fleets, but the number of military contracts of size are dwindling.

The Turkish contract is slightly larger than the $3 billion CH-53K contract Sikorsky has to build the new heavy lift helicopter for the U.S. Marine Corps.